The Zem is a green energy car that removes carbon dioxide from the surrounding air as it's being driven. (Image Credit: TU Ecomotive)
Students at the Eindhoven University of Technology developed the Zem (zero emissions mobility) car, an EV that removes and cleans carbon from the air while being driven. The team equipped the Zem car with a carbon capture device on the underside, and it's made of 3D-printed recycled plastics. Although students built the car, sponsors provided them with materials. Cleantron, a Dutch company, gave them lithium-ion batteries, while Watllab provided the solar panels that produce 15% of the vehicle's charge. SimaPro software performs a lifestyle analysis for carbon output observations.
In 2021, the team wanted to achieve zero emissions with the car. They needed to think of a way to reach that goal while working on the vehicle so that it could collect carbon from the surrounding air. Dual filters fitted on the car's underside perform that job exceptionally well as the car is being driven. Air moves through the filter while carbon sticks to it.
However, these filters must be cleaned out every 200 miles, so the team created a handy solution to offset that inconvenience. Their EV charging station removes the carbon dioxide, repurposing it for clean fuels or safe storage to prevent it from reentering the atmosphere. The carbon capture device collects 4.41 pounds of CO2 every 20,000 miles. That number is 0.04% of the average vehicle's yearly carbon.
The students are still working on making the Zem car achieve carbon neutrality. Additionally, the Zem car features bi-directional charging technology, which allows vehicles to distribute power to a home if renewable energy isn't being generated. It achieves this through the solar panels installed on the car's roof. In turn, the vehicle takes advantage of the roof space and the batteries to make everything more sustainable.
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